Virat Kohli had refused to shake hands with Travis Head after RCB v SRH game.
The match was played at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, where Hyderabad defeated Bengaluru by 55 runs. During the game, Travis Head and Virat Kohli had a heated confrontation that rapidly became a hot subject on social media.
Head and Kohli had a furious argument during Kohli's innings of 15 off 11 balls, but it is unclear what triggered the fight. Later, Kohli declined to shake hands with Head following the game.
The Australian batter extended his hand, but after greeting Pat Cummins and Abhishek Sharma, Kohli strolled past him without acknowledging their gesture.
Ever since the incident happened, Travis Head and his wife Jessica have been subjected to abusive messages by trolls, where many have been directed at their wedding photo from three years ago. Their family has also received hate messages, while some openly threatened Head and his loved ones.
“It feels like a repeat of the abuse that happened after the World Cup. I woke up to my socials blasting... we are fine, but they are attacking my friends and family,” Jessica told Australian media outlet The Advertiser.
In the aftermath of the 2023 World Cup final between India and Australia in November in Ahmedabad, Head had scored a brilliant century, leading Australia to their sixth World Cup win. Head’s family reportedly received horrific messages, including threats of assault and kidnapping.
“I think across all sports at the moment there’s an important conversation around mental health, perspective, and the way we speak to one another. Passion will always be part of sport, but so is remembering there are real people and families behind the game. Hopefully, this encourages more kindness and support for one another,” Jessica added.
Head has yet to provide an official remark over the internet harassment, but he did appear to react to the Kohli incident via an Instagram story posted after the RCB game that simply read: "Keep the body guessing."